ATHENS (AFP) -
Greece's
parliament on Friday adopted a law allowing for migrants who reach the
Greek islands to be returned to Turkey under a controversial EU deal to
stem the numbers entering the bloc.
"The law was adopted by a majority of 169 of the 276 MPs present," said Tassos Kourakis, who presided over the session.
Those
voting in favour included members of the ruling majority which includes
the far-left Syriza and the small nationalist Independent Greeks party
(ANEL) as well as members of both opposition parties: the socialist
Pasok and the centrist To Potami.
The main opposition New
Democracy party voted against the law but in favour of the arrangements
under the EU-Turkey agreement, while the KKE communist party and members
of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn voted against.
The law was rushed
through just days before the first batch of migrants was to be returned
to Turkey following a deal between Brussels and Ankara that was signed
on March 18.
Under the EU agreement, all economic migrants landing on the Greek islands after March 20 face being sent back to Turkey.
And
for every Syrian refugee sent back, another Syrian refugee will be
resettled from Turkey to the EU, with the numbers capped at 72,000.
The
idea is to reduce the incentive for Syrian refugees to board dangerous
smugglers' boats to Europe, as they will have good hope of being
resettled directly from refugee camps.
"Preparations are now well
under way to ensure the return of persons whose asylum claims have been
declared unadmissible, and those who have not claimed protection can
start," European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told reporters.
The
aim of the law is to introduce an EU directive which allows, under
certain conditions, the return of migrants to a third country -- in this
case Turkey -- as stipulated in the EU-Ankara agreement.
It also
seeks to reinforce asylum services in Greece, which is struggling to
cope with around 52,000 newcomers who have been stranded there since the
Balkans states shut off the migrant route to northern Europe in
February.
Following criticism of the deal by the UN and rights
groups including Amnesty International, Greek Migration Minister Yannis
Mouzalas said text included measures to ensure a two-week turnaround in
asylum claims and which would ensure respect for the Geneva Convention
on the protection of refugees.
© 2016 AFP
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